112: Giorgio Sanguinetti

It’s a huge honor to have the great Professor Giorgio Sanguinetti return to the program for his 2nd appearance. He is the author of the award-winning book “The Art of Partimento” which was published in 2012 which won the Wallace Berry Award from the Society of Music Theory and today we will talk his new book “Le Sonate per pianoforte di Beethoven. Genere, forma, espressione” published by Libreria Musicale Italiana.

0:51 Why did you pick the subject of the piano sonatas of Beethoven for this book? 2:26 Did you play many of the piano sonatas yourself over your career? 3:38 Introduction to Beethoven’s piano sonatas 7:03 Did Beethoven play the sonatas live for audiences? or was it more for sale for private use? 11:35 What is the paradigm shift that took place? 15:29 How were the pianos in Beethoven time? 18:42 What should someone do to get better at sight-reading? 19:46 How did Beethoven play his own sonatas? 22:29 Did the Italians ever talk about form, how did they teach it? 23:38 How would Beethoven have thought about the form of his piano sonatas? 28:04 Beethoven and Adolph Bernhard Marx 31:01 Marx’s radical view of music theory 32:09 What were Beethoven’s politics? 33:52 The rise and decline of Formenlehre 37:36 What was the criticism of Formenlehre? 39:34 Edward T. Cone and the Sonata Principle 40:32 What were the essential differences between William Caplin and Hepokoski/Darcy’s theories? 42:45 What about Hepokoski and Darcy’s theory? 45:59 Hermeneutics 49:38 Religion and Hermeneutics 51:20 Topic Theory 54:13 Did Beethoven ever write introductory explanations about his sonatas? 55:50 Schemas 1:00:10 Beethoven’s metronome markings 1:02:26 Werktreue 1:05:22 Should performers today play the score of these piano sonatas with complete faithfulness to the intention of the composer? 1:07:01 How do you feel about the great surge in interest in partimento recently? 1:08:33 What’s the best way to learn partimento? 1:10:11 Is there a best starting collection of partimenti that beginners should start with? 1:12:12 How should someone learn written counterpoint? 1:13:31 Is partimento useful in the modern age with newer contemporary styles? 1:16:55 How should partimento be integrated into music education? Can it complement other theories or should it be taught on it’s own? 1:18:38 On Partimento not having to be an opposing method to other methods of analysis and music education 1:19:56 Wrapping up and upcoming events/projects